It is a sign of how low sin has brought us that we are told to learn from animals. The ant has no one to direct her, no one to inspect her, no one to call her to account, but she works hard storing up for her needs. But a lazy man just wants to make life easy for himself

Solomon has warned us against the dangers of those who try to lead us into sin. He now cautions us against entering into a partnership with a foolish friend. The specific warning is against putting up security for a friend - things like investing in their business, co-signing on their loan, or being their guarantee of payment. But in some

Solomon has painted such a good picture of the deadly temptations of sin on the one hand and the calm happiness found in loving God on the other, that we wonder who in their right mind would choose to leave the ways of God for sin. God sees everything we do, and that thought alone should stop us from following

When we aren’t happy and content with the blessings we have, we start wanting what we can’t have. Desiring something sinful springs from not being satisfied with what God has given us. So, if we want to keep from sin and pursuing what is forbidden, we need to learn to be happy and thankful for what we have. We need

Wisdom is the only thing we can use to avoid sin. If we try to rely on our own strength, good motives, or common sense, we will fail and fail miserably. Our sinful nature will be impossible to control when the right temptation hits us. But wisdom - knowing and doing what God wants out of a heart of love

These rules are our safeguard. Surrounded everywhere by sin, every inlet must be strongly guarded - the heart, the mouth, the eyes, the feet. First, the heart - where man keeps its treasure. It must be guarded, but it must be known to be guarded. We have to know our weak point because it is guaranteed Satan knows them. It

Solomon repeats again the value of wisdom. He is encouraging us in desiring wisdom, the first step in the path. We have to want wisdom if we’re going to start looking for it. How do we obtain wisdom? Through the Word of God. A neglected Bible is a sure sign of a heart that is far from God. If we

It is a beautiful sight to see someone grow as a Christian. They are saved from the darkness and death of sin, and just like a sunrise at first, what is black just becomes less black. Their sin becomes less, and then, the first streaks of light appear, the beginnings of a love of God and a life lived in

How often does friendship with those who hate God damage our own faithfulness and love of God! Their path is so contrary to the one God has told us to follow that to even take a step down it is to forsake the way of God. Their very character imitates their father, the devil - first they are sinners, then

What a joy it is to parents as they come to the end of their life to know that their children have not been brought up for the world but taught in the ways of God. But this won’t happen if their children are never disciplined; if they’ve always got their own way; if they’ve been taught to love the